WHY WE CARE

Plugged In exists to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving you and your family the essential tools you need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which we live. Through reviews, articles and discussions, we want to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

<div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div>

YOUR STORIES

Family uses Plugged In as a ‘significant compass’

"I am at a loss for words to adequately express how much it means to my husband and me to know that there is an organization like Focus that is rooting for us. Just today I was reading Psalm 37 and thinking about how your ministry provides ways to 'dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.' We have two teenagers and an 8-year-old in our household...Plugged In has become a significant compass for our family. All three of our kids are dedicated to their walk with Christ but they still encounter challenges. Thanks for all of your research and persistence in helping us navigate through stormy waters."

Plugged In helps college student stand-up for his belief

"Thanks for the great job you do in posting movie and television reviews online. I’m a college freshman and I recently had a confrontational disagreement with my English professor regarding an R-rated film. It is her favorite movie and she wanted to show it in class. I went to your Web site to research the film’s content. Although I had not seen the movie myself, I was able to make an educated argument against it based on the concerns you outlined. The prof said that she was impressed by my stand and decided to poll the whole class and give us a choice. We overwhelmingly voted to watch a G-rated movie instead! I’ve learned that I can trust your site and I will be using it a lot in the future.”

Plugged In brings ‘Sanity and Order’ to Non-believer

“Even though I don’t consider myself a Christian, I find your Plugged In Web site useful and thought-provoking. No one reviews movies like you do. Instead of being judgmental, you put entertainment ‘on trial.’ After presenting the evidence, you allow the jury of your readers to decide for themselves what they should do. In my opinion, you bring sanity and order to the wild world of modern day entertainment. Keep up the good work!”

Mom thinks Plugged In is the ‘BEST Christian media review site’

"Our family doesn't go to the movies until we go online and check out your assessment of a given film. I think this is the BEST Christian media review website that I've found, and I recommend it to my family and friends. Keep up the good work!"

SUPPORT THE WORK OF PLUGGED IN

Our hope is that whether you're a parent, youth leader or teen, the information and tools at Plugged In will help you and your family make appropriate media decisions. We are privileged to do the work we do, and are continually thankful for the generosity and support from you, our loyal readers, listeners and friends.

Sign up for a campaign update

God of War

We hope this review was both interesting and useful. Please share it with family and friends who would benefit from it as well.

Game Review

One look at the cover of God of War and you know this isn't child's play. A battle-scarred, tattooed warrior stands fight-ready with blood dripping from the massive swords in his hands. It's obvious he can do some serious damage onscreen.

What's less evident is how much damage he can do to gamers.

An Assignment From "Above"
Set in ancient Greece, God of War follows the tormented Kratos on his search to escape a curse placed upon him by Ares, the mythological god of war. Facing sure defeat in battle, the Spartan commander had called on Ares to rout his enemies. But in return, Ares transformed him into a killing machine, sentencing him to a life of ransacking villages, slaughtering women and children, and even murdering his own family.

As the game begins, Kratos is so anguish-ridden that he tries to commit suicide. "By the gods, what have I become?" he cries before jumping off a cliff. But the gods have other plans for him. Ares has gone mad, and Kratos is the only mortal able to kill the war-hungry god. So Kratos is sent on a mission to find Pandora's Box (which will give him god-like power) and defeat his cruel adversary. On the way, he faces lots of mythological and ghoulish enemies: cyclops, minotaurs, sirens, wraiths, gorgons, etc.

These, along with colossal yet intricately detailed surroundings, make for an adventurous and visually stunning journey that has reviewers raving. Play Magazine calls God of War "quite possibly the best action game ever made." Yahoo! Games labels it "one of the most spectacular action titles to grace the PS2," while GameSpot says it "should not be missed."

Ignoring the Mess
Funny—no one seems to be mentioning what you actually do in this "genre-elevating" game. God of War blends the brutishness of the movie Gladiator with the over-the-top gore of Resident Evil. Men are sliced in half. Women are decapitated. Heads explode, get pounded against rocks and are literally ripped from their bodies. Virtually everyone and everything gets impaled. Depictions of such carnage are repeated and up close, while blood gushes, pours, splatters and streams. According to one of the game's artists, director David Jaffe's order was to "get as much blood onscreen as possible."

He got his wish. While playing Kratos, an animalistic antihero (to say the least), blood doesn't just flow from menacing beasts. At times, you're forced to slaughter innocent human civilians to acquire sufficient health points. "I love the fact that part of the gameplay is that you have to be brutal and kill these innocents in order to survive," Jaffe says unapologetically. "The more places we could find where the player pretty much had to do it, the happier I was."

Such warped intentions reach beyond violence, too. During a mini-game, your strength is restored by having sex with two women at once. Though the act is done offscreen, the women make erotic groans (both are shown topless, as are numerous other females throughout the game).

"I'm very glad that there's nudity in the game, and violence and sex," Jaffe says. "I love the idea that we can put games out there that aren't just watered down. Some people are like, ‘Oh, it's just shock value.' Maybe that's true, but it's still stuff that I like. ... Why is appealing to some base level bad? … I think it's kinda cool that the player gets to piggyback on that."

Not So Cool—And Here's Why
Jaffe reasons that this is "a different type of game for a different audience," noting that publisher Sony was completely supportive of God of War's mature content: "They don't look at this stuff for kids; it's M-rated for adults."

As if that makes it OK. The game doesn't just celebrate its twisted violence and corrupt sexuality; it forces you to bury yourself in sludge—with a powerfully numbing effect. It's oddly exhilarating to annihilate a horde of demons and ghouls who surround you. It's strangely invigorating to rip the head off a medusa or impale a three-headed hydra after an intense struggle. But it's those kinds of misplaced, adrenaline-inspired emotions that make you forget that you're forced to sacrifice one of your own warriors to a god or hack away at dozens of fleeing Athenians.

God of War offers a spectacular graphic panorama. Its gameplay quickly becomes intoxicating—both for younger players and adults. And in our 21st-century world, that's more dangerous than a bloodthirsty, half-crazed Spartan.

Advertisement

Get weekly e-news, Culture Clips & more!

Plugged In Blog

Good media discernment is about guarding our eyes and hearts before we watch or listen. And it's also about grappling with the entertainment we do see or hear. That's why the Plugged In Blog is devoted to guarding, discussing and grappling.

Family Safety

Protecting our families today is more vital than ever. And by partnering with ClearPlay and Net Nanny, Focus on the Family hopes to point you to resources and tools that can help you navigate the entertainment world around you.